Knowledge management approach in foresight studies – A systematic literature review

This article examines how the knowledge management approach is represented in foresight research. Foresight is a fundamentally knowledge-related activity, and the knowledge management perspective may be seen as a potential approach for understanding and supporting creation, dissemination and application of futures knowledge. However, the integrative examination of knowledge management and foresight seems to be quite scarce, and a systematic investigation of the connection between these two areas of research is still lacking. The study is conducted as a systematic literature review focusing on exploring the coverage of knowledge management–related theories in foresight studies and providing a comprehensive understanding of how these theories are used therein. The results of the study indicate that the use of the knowledge management approach in foresight studies is still scarce despite the significant linkage between these two domains. The knowledge management approach is represented in foresight studies most frequently from the perspective of organisational learning. Furthermore, the core concepts of knowledge management are somewhat represented in foresight studies, especially from the knowledge process viewpoint. The study also points out possible areas of future research and suggests benefits of exploring foresight activities through the theoretical lenses provided by knowledge management research. • This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how KM-related theories are used in foresight research. • It also offers a structured view of the representation of the KM approach in foresight research. • This study built a connection between the research areas of foresight and KM and deepened the understanding of the relationship between the central perspectives of KM and foresight.